Many organisations in the supply chain industry need to meet growing expectations to provide access to a 24/7/365 service. This commercial reality usually necessitates shift work, leading to workforce operating during what could be considered unnatural hours. This can be accentuated in a 'global village' with expectations to operate across time zones.

It is estimated that 150 quayside container cranes develop a fatigue crack annually, with the potential for a catastrophic failure of a critical structural member. This is revealed in the Port Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA) in their latest publication, entitled 'Practical Structural Examination of Container Handling Cranes in Ports and Terminals'.

Despite publicity about the amendment to SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) requiring that all packed containers have verified gross mass (VGM) stretching back at least five years, many parts of the industry have waited to the eleventh hour before putting individual and collaborative minds to the issue of implementation. With less than five months to mandatory global enforcement on 1 July 2016, it is critical for all stakeholders to engage now.

Now gripped in the headlights of impending mandatory enforcement of the requirements to provide and use verified gross mass (VGM) data for packed containers, many parts of the stakeholder community appear uncertain of how this can work out globally. Each link in the chain needs to take individual responsibility for their own scope of activity and engage with others to enhance the integrity of the whole supply chain. Many national competent authorities and industry players appear to lack thought leadership.

Coiled materials covers a variety of materials of differing densities, but all present the shipper with the fundamental issues of how to ensure that the cargo itself arrives at the destination without damage, at the same time as avoid damage to the cargo transport unit (CTU) and anyone or thing adjacent to it during transit. Improperly secured coil materials can have catastrophic and fatal consequences. New industry guidance is now available.

The International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was first adopted a little over a century ago, albeit that version never entered into force due to the First World War. Now a central pillar for international maritime safety, under the custody of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a number of new amendments entered into force with effect from 1 January 2016.

Those involved in international carriage should be well aware that the law applicable to a contract and the jurisdiction in which disputes are to be decided often have a significant bearing on the outcome of a case. This is so for both the substantive determination of liability or remedy, as well as procedural matters, such as commencement of proceedings, disclosure, timelines and costs. A recent UK Supreme Court is exemplary.

As the supply chain industry globally is gearing up to comply with the SOLAS amendment that, from 1 July 2016, requires verified gross mass for every packed container, it is worth reiterating that container weight is just one (relatively small) part of ramping up safety.

Essentially the diversion of a payment, mandate fraud is a long standing practice, the existence of which has been exposed in recent years due to a number of high profile cases as well as the proliferation of the use of the internet to facilitate payments.

TT Club's experience is that theft remains firmly in the top five claims causes, accounting for about 13% by number and value over the last five years. Much recent attention has been focused on the emerging risk of cybercrime, as internet capabilities are increasingly used to identify, track and intercept cargo. However, case studies abound for the more traditional vulnerabilities, even if potentially aided by electronic means.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones as they are more commonly known, have been in existence for decades in various guises. In recent years, however, the technology has developed more rapidly and is being trialled within new areas of practice.

3D printing - also known as additive manufacturing (AM) - is a process of manufacturing virtually any three dimensional object from either an existing model or an electronic data source. Such equipment was first developed in the 1980's so in itself is not new. However, in recent years rapid development has moved it form the laboratory to the marketplace.